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Squire Report, Vol 9: Playoffs

09 May 2018

The magical run extends into the postseason, and away we go...

A HEAVY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP WITH LOS ANGELES

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little skeptical about the Knights’ chances in this series: the Kings were an experienced team that had been through some physical playoff battles in the past, and I wasn’t sure that Vegas could match that intensity. I also keep waiting for the clock to strike midnight on this Cinderella season, but it was just not meant to be.

Right from the first game, the Knights established their own physical presence and showed that they would not be pushed around. They clamped down on defense and limited the Kings to low-percentage shots from the outside, keeping the area around Marc-Andre Fleury’s crease clear from high-danger opportunities. As a result, Los Angeles would only score THREE goals in the midst of the four-game Vegas sweep.

Fleury was outstanding in the series, pitching two shutouts and finishing with an other-worldly save percentage of .977! I’ve long been a critic of Brayden McNabb, but the former King was a warrior in the series, and ultimately scored the only goal in the clinching Game 4. This Vegas season would continue with another matchup against a California team - could they keep up their stellar play?

SHARK HUNTING IN THE SECOND ROUND

For their next series, the Knights would face a team who stood as a polar opposite to Los Angeles: the San Jose Sharks, who preferred a speed-oriented attack, in contrast to the heavy style played by the Kings. Seeing as how this would match the Vegas identity, the winning team would have to simply find another dimension to their game and rise up. Both teams finished off their first-round opponents with a sweep, giving each group an entire week to rest before the “track meet” began. And they’re off…

Vegas wound up shaking off the rust better than San Jose, jumping on them quick and often to cruise to a 7-0 victory in Game 1. The next two games were more evenly matched, with each team winning once in overtime, before Sharks goalie Martin Jones recorded a shutout of his own in Game 4 to even things up. Now a best-of-3 series, Vegas utilized their depth and turned to one of their impressive rookies to help close out their foes from northern California.
Alex Tuch was a former 1st round pick with the Minnesota Wild, who came to Vegas in a trade on the day of the Expansion Draft. An imposing power forward with soft hands, Tuch also has a great team-first attitude: he showed up and served as a leader during the summer Rookie Camp, even though he was older and more proven, and probably didn't have to be there. Then as the regular season began, he was sent to the AHL due to being exempt from waivers, and all he did was score 4 goals in three games to earn an immediate call-up back to Vegas.

Now he's proving he belongs in the NHL, and his first postseason has been impressive: he has 7 points in 10 games, including 3 goals and 2 assists in the San Jose series. He'll turn 22 years old this week, and Knights fan will have plenty to look forward to from their budding young star - perhaps more efforts like this:

SINGING THE PRAISES OF NATE SCHMIDT

In my very first Squire Report, I predicted that Nate Schmidt would become an instant fan favorite, thanks to his endearing charm and whimsical sense of humor. I also figured he would be productive on the ice, but I wasn't exactly sure how he'd fit in with the team as a whole. Top 4 or bottom pair? Defense-first or offensive specialist? I just knew I wanted to watch him play and grow with the team. But as it stands, there is SO much to his game and he has easily become my favorite player on the Knights.

One of my biggest concerns with cobbling a team together out of the Expansion Draft was that I didn't think the Knights would be able to find a defenseman to slot in as their de facto #1 - a top-pair guy to play in all situations and log a large amount of ice time. Enter Nate Schmidt, who was thankfully left unprotected by the Washington Capitals: I'm entirely certain they did so because they were convinced that Vegas would select 25-year-old goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who was familiar to both Vegas GM George McPhee and goalie coach Dave Prior when they held those respective positions in Washington. As it turns out, McPhee took a chance on Schmidt, who he signed as an undrafted free agent coming out of the University of Minnesota.

Tasked with an increased role on a new team, Schmidt responded by leading the Knights in ice time in the regular season (22:14 per game), while only committing EIGHT minor penalties all year! Through ten postseason games, his ice time has risen to 25:36 per game, and he's tied for the lead among Vegas defensemen with five points. He's been a rock on the blue line, often given the toughest assignments against opposing forwards, which makes his +6 rating (best for Knights defensemen) that much more remarkable.

PS. During my recent trip to Toronto, I stumbled upon a dealer who was selling hockey cards at a junior game in Hamilton - I saw this one and knew I had to have it!!

LAST MONTH'S PREDICTIONS
I. THE CHICAGO WOLVES WILL WIN THE AHL'S CENTRAL DIVISION
Just as I suspected, the Wolves won their second consecutive division title, as their 95 points allowed them to finish two points ahead of the defending Calder Cup Champion Grand Rapids Griffins. Teemu Pulkkinen - selected from Arizona in the Expansion Draft - led a balanced attack which featured three 20-goal scorers and four players who reached the 50-point mark. Tomas Hyka, signed as a free agent by the Knights, had an impressive 48 points in 50 games as well. Next year's team should be even stronger, with the addition of Vegas prospects Nicolas Hague and Erik Brannstrom to bolster their defense - the future is definitely bright! (PS. The Wolves would get swept in the opening round of the Calder Cup playoffs, but I'm not going to let that damper my enthusiasm).

II. MALCOLM SUBBAN WILL START A PLAYOFF GAME
I knew I never should have doubted Marc-Andre Fleury and his playoff pedigree: he was brought in to be the face of the franchise, and he hasn't given up the net at all. It's a terrific sign that Fleury has played every second of every playoff game - they've never been in a position to need to pull him in order to fire up the team, and he has rewarded their confidence with incredibly steady play between the pipes. Let's just hope I didn't jinx it for the next round.

III. THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WILL LOSE TO LOS ANGELES IN THE FIRST ROUND
I've never been so glad to be so wrong.

THIS MONTH'S PREDICTIONS
I. SHEA THEODORE WILL OUTSCORE ALL VEGAS DEFENSEMEN IN THE CONFERENCE FINAL
With Brayden McNabb, Alex Tuch and Nate Schmidt having all stood out in the postseason so far, now is the time for the young phenom to make his mark. His five playoff points have him tied with Schmidt for the team lead among defensemen, but I think he'll separate from the pack as we move on. His smooth skating and deft puck handling have already been noticeable, and his ability to set up his teammates with good scoring chances should be evident in the next round. He'll be the breakout star of the conference final - just in time for his next contract this summer!

II. WILLIAM KARLSSON WILL AVERAGE A POINT PER GAME IN THE CONFERENCE FINAL
Like Theodore, Karlsson is a pending restricted free agent coming off a terrific regular season, and will undoubtedly want to keep up that momentum in the postseason to increase his salary demands. Currently sitting at four goals and six assists in ten games, I have every reason to believe this pace will continue, and Wild Bill will show the hockey world that his amazing season was no fluke. I would guess that his agent is on board with my line of thinking.

III. THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS WILL WIN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
Yes, the expansion Golden Knights will play for the Stanley Cup. After defying the odds all season - including my own skepticism - I'm finally ready to turn the corner to the optimistic side. This team has proven that they can win with physical play and strong defense, and they've also proven that they can win with speed and agility - what else is left to prove? Though this will be the first series in which they will not have home-ice advantage, I think Vegas can steal a game on the road and couple that with their usual excellence at home. What happens next can only be left to the imagination.